A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

The variable identified as having a significant negative correlation with helping levels is population size. Research has often shown that as population size increases, the likelihood of individuals offering help in emergency situations tends to decrease. This phenomenon is known as the bystander effect, where the presence of more people leads to a diffusion of responsibility. When there are many bystanders, individuals may feel less personal responsibility to intervene, believing that someone else will help.

In contrast, smaller communities often foster a greater sense of familiarity and responsibility among residents, leading to increased helping behaviors. While purchasing power parity (PPP) reflects economic conditions and may influence general levels of well-being in a community, it is the demographic factors like population size that have a more direct relationship with altruistic behaviors and helping tendencies. Researchers have consistently found these trends across various studies, making population size the variable with the most pronounced effect on helping behavior.